Speaking at a press conference to commemorate World Tourism Day yesterday, he said 60 percent of Fiji's tourism earnings "leaked" because a lot of hotels were still sourcing food supplies from overseas.

"I have been urging the hotel operators to use as much local produce as possible," Vuetilovoni said.

However, he said hoteliers claimed that the quality and consistency of local food supply was not up to par.

But Vuetilovoni said this argument was no longer relevant because the quality of vegetables in the country was of a good standard.

"We just go down to the market place and we can see the quality of vegetables that we have. There is no problem with quality," he said.

He said the canoes would carry the government leaders of the Melanesia Spearhead Group countries next Saturday from a certain point to the Suva foreshore and would coincide with a march in the capital city.

"The builders are from Kabara and were the traditional builders for the Tui Nayau and although they are being paid by the Government they still used the traditional skills and as Fijian protocol dictates it was then traditionally handed over to the State today (yesterday)," Mr Buwawa said.

He said 10 men carried out the work on mahogany wood instead of the traditional vesi wood.

Reports reaching Solomon Star said the team provided free medical services to the local people in the surrounding communities of Tulagi.

Medical services that have been rendered includes pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, internal medicine, dentistry, surgery, and orthopedics.

During the daylong visit the team also donated numerous kinds of medicine worth thousands of dollars to hundreds of local people.

It was highlighted that the local people were glad to see the coming of the medical mission because some of the sick patients who have suffered for a long time through some form of sickness had the chance to be treated or prescribed with medicine that are not normally...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Sept. 27) - West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, will miss out on cocoa earnings this year following recent revelations that the cocoa pod borer had affected the crop since 2003 and the damage was worse than that at Kerevat in East New Britain.

It was also revealed that since then cocoa production had been "none to very little" in Aitape, the main cocoa growing area of the province.

[PIR editor’s note: ] The former West Sepik, currently known as Sandaun Province, is the north-westernmost province of Papua New Guinea. Aitape is a coastal town in Sandaun Province.]

A team of experts from the Coconut and Cocoa Institute (CCI) in East New Britain announced their findings upon returning from a weeklong trip into the isolated Aitape area where evidence of the pest had been found.

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, October 2) – The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands will re-introduce a permanent residency program for individuals who invest at least US$200,000 in the commonwealth.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial on Friday said the proposed residency program will be drafted by Oct. 15 and enacted through the legislative process.

He said the local residency program will target Japanese and Chinese investors.

At US$200,000 each, residency cards sold to 2,000 Chinese investors would yield US$400 million worth of investments, Fitial said.

"We should look into re-enacting the Residency Act and bring in investors. We will be selling residency only to investors…. We are looking at US$200,000 to US$250,000. This is not final yet," said Fitial.

"We want to make a condition that there should be a reinvestment. They cannot just run away (after making the investment)," he added.

PAPEÉTE, Tahiti (Tahitipresse, Sept. 28) - Last year's 208,067 tourists each spent an average 202,000 French Pacific francs [US$2,242] while visiting Tahiti and Her Islands, a 2.5 percent increase over the 2003 average of 197,000 French Pacific francs [US$2,186], the French Polynesia Statistics Institute reports in its latest study of visitor spending.

The increase in average spending occurred despite a 2.2 percent drop in the volume of visitors.

There were 212,767 tourists in 2003, or 4,700 more than last year. But last year's total tourist spending was fractionally higher--42.109 billion French Pacific francs [US$467.4 million] compared with 42.003 billion [US$466.2 million].

North American, French, non-French European, Japanese, Australian and New Zealand and South American tourists accounted for the overwhelming majority of tourist spending last year in that order.

But only North Americans, French and non-French European visitors spent more per visit...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Oct. 1) – A New Zealand developer has secured the lease of government land near Apia for a seaside resort that includes a man-made island.

Developer Gordon Taylor has spent several years in difficult negotiations with government for lease of the land at Taumeasina. .

After the signing of the 80 year lease, Taylor promised to build a hotel better than the famous Aggie Grey’s or any other in the country,

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Faumuina Liuga, signed for Government.

Mr Taylor said he was part Samoan and also has Tongan blood.

[PIR editor’s note: According to a July 2, 2004 story in the Samoa Observer, Taylor has spent several years in difficult negotiations with government for lease of the land at Taumeasina. .After the signing of the 80 year lease, Taylor promised to build a hotel better than the famous Aggie Grey’s or any other in the country.]

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post Courier, October 1) – Papua New Guinea (PNG) Power will spend PGK120 million [US$43 million] to upgrade, renovate and replace existing facilities and equipment at the Rouna Two hydro power station.

The project will see the replacement of 40-year-old equipment with the latest. PNG power said yesterday this project would result in greater quality and reliability of power supply to customers in the Port Moresby.

A contract agreement was signed yesterday between PNG Power and VA Tech Hydro, a European company which has won the tender to upgrade the station and its equipment. PNG Power chief executive officer Patrick Mara said through this project, PNG Power would deliver more reliable, efficient, better quality and more importantly, cost-effective electricity services to the consumers. "The project is worth more than K120 million, and is funded by PNG Power from its own balance sheet, and loan funding from local commercial banks,"...

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.